


Tryouts

by PunkInPinkGlitter



Series: Sheith fics [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Buff shiro, Keith doesn't get sports, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron), Second-Hand Embarrassment, disaster Keith, smooth Shiro, so much pining he's in a forest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 20:02:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15126842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PunkInPinkGlitter/pseuds/PunkInPinkGlitter
Summary: Keith goes to tryouts, and pines after Shiro.





	Tryouts

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my friend Socks <3

Keith was really considering apologizing to Lance.

Earlier in the day, Lance begged Keith to go with him to some sort of sport tryout.   _Football?  Is that what Lance called it?_  He wanted Keith to be there for him for the whole length of tryouts: two hours a day, every weekday, for two weeks.  If the applicants could last through the daily cuts and brutal practices, they would be probationally accepted into the few coveted spots on the university team.  It helped that Lance promised that he would never force Keith to a game if he went to the tryouts.

Keith almost refused, but ended up ecstatic that he didn’t.  If he hadn’t gone, he wouldn’t have seen the most gorgeous man on Earth leading the drills that first day.

Sitting in the bleachers, Keith decided he was a football fan.  Well, maybe not a _football_ fan.

The captain of the team was Takashi Shirogane, a huge man that Keith wanted to suffocate under.  Built of nothing but muscle, he had no right looking as good as he did when running down the field.

Keith went with Lance every day, even encouraging him to stay on the team when he wanted to quit.  Keith just wanted to see the captain again, but he’d never tell Lance he was being anything but a good friend.  He sat diligently in the stands, not even trying to hide the fact he was staring down the team captain.

 

At the end of the first week, Keith had zoned out looking at Shiro’s magnificent back during the stretches, imagining what they’d look like in a very different situation.  He didn’t even realize that the stretching stopped, and the team hopefuls started running laps. He definitely didn’t notice when Shiro strolled over and sat down next to him.

“Find anything interesting?”

Keith jumped, reaching up to wipe the drool from the side of his mouth as discreetly as possible.

“Uh… yeah, sorry.  My friend is trying out, I’m just here, being supportive.”

“That’s nice of you.  I’m Shiro,” he reached out his hand.

“K-keith,” _Hold it together, Keith!  Holy shit, he’s hotter up close._  He shook Shiro’s extended hand.  Keith melted a bit.

“So Keith, why aren’t you trying out?  You look athletic enough.”  Shiro’s eyes glided over the younger man.

“I’m on the track team.  I run.  I don’t know anything about other sports.  All I know is you try to get the ball across the field to the other side.”

“Score,” Shiro gently corrected, chuckling slightly.

Keith shook his head.  “See?  Nothing.”

Shiro smiled.  Keith decided then and there he would do anything so see that smile again.

“You’re right though, so you know _something_.  I’ve gotta go back to practice.  I’ll see you around then?”

Keith smiled back.  “Yeah, I’ll be here.”

 

Saturday, Lance had to go the local sports shop.  He needed some new gear and decided to celebrate not getting cut that week by getting new clothes at the same time.  Keith of course was dragged along because he really had nothing better to do.  He was caught up on all of his classwork and Lance practically begged him.  He also goaded Keith by saying Shiro might be there.  Keith wouldn’t tell him that that was what convinced him to go; the very off chance he might get a glimpse of Shiro again.

They didn’t, of course.  But, Keith decided he was going to get Shiro a present.  He was athletic, he was gorgeous.   _If Shiro’s not dating anyone currently, he was going to be snatched up quickly._

Keith walked up to the store associate, a ginger haired man with the most impressive mustache he’s ever seen.

“Uh, excuse me, I’m looking for something, uh...for someone...”

The redhead turned and stared at Keith, a twinkle in his eye.  “Of course my boy, what is it you’re looking for?”

Keith looked around.  “So, this guy plays…what did Lance call it...football?  I didn’t really pay attention while they were playing.  But, I was hoping to get him a new ball.”

The associate bounced on the balls of his feet.  “Of course!  Those are right over here.”  He led them deeper into the store.  Keith picked out a ball that the associate gushed over (“This is what they use in the big leagues!  When they go to the championships!”).  Though it didn’t look right to him.  _Weren’t they using different balls during practice?_   Keith didn’t know enough about the sport to argue, so he checked out and waited at the front of the store for Lance to finish his shopping.

 

The rest of the weekend went quickly, Lance parading his new clothes around in a fashion show type display, while Keith wrapped the new ball he got Shiro.

“Hey, Lance.  Do you know if Shiro’s single?”

Lance looked across the dorm room at Keith, cocking his head to the side.

“Why in the hell do you think I would know that?  WAIT!!  Do you have a thing for Shiro?!?”

Keith straightened up.  “I...uh…”

“Don’t worry, dude, Wingman Lancey Lance has your back!  I’ll be the best wingman you could ask for!”

“The best wingman I could ask for would be Hunk,” Keith shot back.

Lance’s hand flew to his heart, mouth dropping in offence.  He thought for a second, dropped his hand, and said “Yeah, I can see that.  Hunk’s awesome.”

 

On Monday, Keith and Lance walked across campus to the fields, Keith with his gift in his book bag.   _Just in case_ , he told himself.

“I’ll see if I can find out anything about Shiro for you.  You know, keep it on the downlow and make sure no one knows I’m asking-”

“Lance!  Just.  Don’t do what you’d normally do, okay?”  Keith knew that if Lance did what he was planning, everyone was going to know about Keith’s ‘little’ crush.

Lance just rolled his eyes, saluted with two fingers and ran off towards the field.

Shiro was there again leading the warmups.  Again, he faced away from the bleachers.  But something seemed off.  Were his shorts too short?  And that tank top looked way, _way_ too tight to be comfortable.  But at least Keith was getting a great view of Shiro’s arms to worry too much about it.

Then, Shiro bent over.  It was meant to stretch their hamstrings, the toe-touching, but Keith could only look at Shiro’s ass.  Perfect and round, it had Keith drooling.  He was too far away to notice Shiro’s smirk.  Keith committed the image to memory, praying to any listening deity that he’d maybe get to one day touch them.

Stretches finished minutes later, and again, off went the hopefuls running laps around the field.  Shiro disappeared from the field, so Keith resigned himself to watch Lance outpace all of his teammates.

Keith felt the bench shift next to him soon enough.  Heat spread quickly through Keith, hoping it would be Shiro coming back for another visit.  He looked up, and was relieved he was right.

“You’re back,” Shiro said simply.

“I’m being a good friend, I told you.”  Keith tried to shrug off his blush.

Shiro nodded, smirking.  “It’s a nice day, nice breeze too.”

Keith smiled back.  “It is.”

“So, when does track start for you?”

“It started at the beginning of the year.  I’m long distance, and they don’t really have a season like other sports.”  He looked up at Shiro, thinking about how beautiful he looked with the sun kissing his skin.

“I’ll try to catch one of your meets, then.”

They sat in awkward silence for a few moments, until Shiro got up and stretched, exposing a swatch of skin between his shirt and shorts.  Keith’s eyes were immediately drawn to the patch of hair leading from his navel to under those oh so short shorts.

“I’ll see you after?”  Shiro asked, leaning away with his arms still over his head.

Keith’s brain shorted out.  “Uhh…..y-yeah.  I’ll be here.”

Shiro waved and walked away.

Keith looked back out to the field, blush settled firmly on his face, trying to calm his head.  He looked for Lance, spotting him easily in his almost blinding neon blue outfit.  Lance waved enthusiastically and gave him a thumbs up, while the rest of the team cheered.  Apparently, they saw him talking to Shiro, and it was a safe bet that Lance had already blabbed to them about his infatuation with the team captain.

 

The end of practice came soon enough.  Everyone had hit the showers, and Keith remained glued to his spot in the stands.  Shiro went to put the equipment away, and waved at Keith, calling him down to the field.  Keith hitched his bag up on his shoulder and made his way down.

Keith walked over, hands sweating.  Shiro’s eyes lit up as he saw Keith.  Keith thought he saw stars in his eyes.

“Enjoy the practice?”  Shiro asked when Keith got close enough.

“Uh, yeah.  It looks fun.”

Shiro’s eyes glittered in the sunlight.  “Fun, huh?  Wanna try it out?”

Keith shook his head.  “I’ll look like a dork.  I really don’t know anything about sports.”

Shiro snickered.  “It’s easy.  Just try to keep the ball away from me.”

Keith smiled.  “But first, you’ll need a ball, right?”

Shiro nodded and Keith went to scoop the present out of his bag.  Shiro’s eyes got bigger as he eyed the purple and black striped wrapping paper.

Shiro smiled, taking the package, saying “You didn’t need to get me anything, Keith.”

Keith shrugged.  Shiro carefully unwrapped Keith’s gift and looked up, confused.

“I thought you could use a new ball.”

“Keith, babe, this.  This is a football.”

“Yeah, that’s what the man in the store said.”  His brain glossed right over that Shiro called him ‘babe’.

“Keith, what is the name of the sport I play?”

Keith and Shiro eyed each other, both wondering why the other was so confused.

“Football.  That’s what my roommate calls it.”

Shiro started laughing, a full bodied laugh that had him doubled over.  Keith blushed again, a scowl crossing his face.  “What?!?” He demanded.

Shiro gasped to breathe.  “Keith, oh my god.  We’re in Arizona.  We call it soccer.”

Keith was flushed with embarrassment.  He went to pick up his bag, not wanting to humiliate himself further.  He was furious.  He was going to kill Lance and hide in his dorm room until Shiro couldn’t remember his name.

Still shaking with laughter, Shiro grabbed Keith’s arm as he turned to leave.  Gasping for breath he begged “Please. Please. Don’t leave.”  Keith looked at Shiro’s hand, almost completely covering his bicep, and his brain shorted out again.  Keith stilled, and looked back up at Shiro’s face.  He knew he couldn’t say no.  “Keith, we can play football too, if you want.  It’s okay.”  The smile and want on Shiro’s face was more than Keith could handle.

“I uh...I can’t play that either.  I told you, I can’t play sports.”

“Well, how about we go out for dinner instead?”

Keith couldn’t believe how smooth Shiro was being with this.  He looked up, seeing the tentative smile on Shiro’s face.  Keith smiled in return.

“Yeah, I can do that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on Tumblr.  
> [punkinpinkglitter](https://punkinpinkglitter.tumblr.com/)


End file.
